Things We Forget
by IsabelPython
Summary: AU. While driving home one night, Linkara encounters a strange blond man by the side of the road. Upon taking him home, Linkara discovers the man, Jaeris, has selective amnesia and…A baby bump? Based on a dream I had. Warnings: Memory loss, Mpreg, strange alien biology (obviously), and ship teasing
1. Chapter 1

Things We Forget.

Summary: AU. While driving home one night, Linkara encounters a strange blond man by the side of the road. Upon taking him home, Linkara discovers the man, Jaeris, has selective amnesia and…A baby bump? Based on a dream I had.

Warnings: Memory loss, Mpreg, strange alien biology (obviously), and ship teasing.

Linkara was driving home when it happened. He was bringing home dinner after filming a crossover with The Last Angry Geek at the comic book store. Teen Titans: Enter the Wyld required two ticked off nerds to tackle it, after all. He was halfway home he caught sight of something, illuminated in his headlights. It was a figure with shockingly blond hair and a backpack traveling along the side of the road. Linkara probably wouldn't have looked at them twice, but for the fact that the figure wasn't walking. It was running. Linkara slowed down. He didn't agree with rubbernecking, but something could really be wrong here. Then again, it could just as easily be a thief on the lam from the law. He was about to speed up again when the figure stopped, shuddered, and collapsed.

Immediately, Linkara stopped the car, unbuckled his seatbelt, and jumped out to investigate. He knelt by the figure and gave them a good once over, his eyes straining in the dark. The person had fallen on their side, arms around their stomach. They looked unhurt, but didn't respond when Linkara gently patted their cheeks and checked their pulse. After confirming they were still alive, Linkara peered down the road. There didn't seem to be any ax murderers or other ghouls after them.

Linkara felt a shiver go down his spine, and not just because of the spooky situation. If the temperature kept dropping, they were going to freeze to death for sure. Linkara made up his mind. He carefully extracted the person from their backpack, picked them up in his arms and carried them to the passenger side of the car. The person-he was pretty sure they were male, but it was very dark- mumbled incoherently. The head on his shoulder shifted, and then stilled, the blond hair tickling his neck. Linkara gently set him in the passenger seat, and buckled him in. As he was clicking the seatbelt into place, his other hand came to rest over the soft curve of the person's stomach.

Something under his hand moved.

Linkara jerked his hand back as though he'd been burned. He stared down at the stranger's stomach. Cautiously, he placed his hand in the same spot again. Another thump, this time against his fingers. Linkara swallowed. Ok, obviously not a male. Must be a woman. A _pregnant_ woman. Linkara shrugged out of his trademark coat and used it to cover the person, who he noticed was shivering in a t-shirt and thin pajama pants. They also didn't appear to have any shoes on. Linkara felt his heart twinge in sympathy for them. What exactly had they been running away from? He glanced over his shoulder worriedly, and then, after retrieving the backpack, headed back to the driver's side. Once in, he drove as quickly as he could back home.

It was a challenge getting up to his apartment with an unconscious bundle, a backpack, and a bag of fast food, but he managed it, somehow. In front of his apartment, he kicked the door, and it was opened by 90's kid. "DUUU-." He began, but stopped short.

"Uh, I thought you were just coming back with food."

"Things got complicated." Linkara handed off the food to him and moved to stand in the living room. "Nimue, two to beam up to sick bay."

"Confirmed." Came the smooth voice of Nimue, and after a brief sensation of vertigo, they were standing in the medical bay of Comicron1 Linkara laid the person onto the medi-scanner, and flicked the switch that turned it on. "Nimue, could you scan this girl, tell me what's going on with her?"

"Confirmed."

Two metal arches passed over the person, coming to rest over their stomach. Linkara blinked as he looked the person over. Now that they were in proper light, he got a better look at them. They had very long hair that was down to their backside and a surprisingly flat chest. It was hard to tell with the bangs obscuring their face but they looked almost…Linkara shook his head. Had he just imagined the kicks?

"This unit has finished scanning." Nimue reported, breaking him out of his thoughts. Linkara looked up. "Report?"

"Subject is suffering from severe exhaustion and is approximately 20 weeks pregnant." Linkara nodded. "I figured."

"Subject is also male." Linkara's eyes widened behind his glasses. "WHAT?!" he yelped. "That can't be right, scan them again!"

"This unit has done so, subject is still male." Linkara glanced down at them and leaned in for a better look. He brushed their bangs aside and found a masculine-if oddly pretty –face. "Huh." He pursed his lips. "Guess you were right, Nimue."

"This unit is not in the habit of being incorrect." Linkara moved to the backpack on the floor and unzipped it. Maybe there was a clue as to the man's identity in it. What he found left him with more questions than answers. There were several cans of what he assumed was food with labels written in another language that looked like a cross between Chinese and scribbles. There were some clothes-black, and some sort of leather- and, pushing those aside, he discovered a gun.

Not a toy gun, but a magic one. It had the unmistakable weight and aura of a magic gun, similar to his own, yet different. He held it for a minute, weighing it. He didn't dare fire it, and he wasn't even sure he could. It was a different style than his, vaguely western and white, with a brown barrel, and warm to the touch. "Guess you're not from around here." He remarked to the unconscious male.

"Subject _does _seem to have alien physiology." Nimue added. Linkara returned the gun to the backpack and zipped it up. "Come on," He addressed the sleeping person. "Let's get you into a proper bed."

Comicron1 had no shortage of rooms, though some were less seemly than others. Linkara had yet to clean out the more macabre places, but there were plenty of empty bedrooms. What they were used for, he wasn't sure he wanted to know, since Vyce didn't seem the type to have friends over, but since they'd burned the old bedding and gotten new, it should be pretty safe. The person didn't stir as Linkara laid him in a comfy spare bed. His unresponsiveness was a little unnerving, but the medi-scan's verdict was that he just needed a good long nap to recover and this was merely part of the healing process. Linkara couldn't help but worry a little, though. He'd never had a pregnant…person in his care before, much less a pregnant alien. As he tucked the man in, he pondered how best to proceed. A conversation with Linksano was definitely in order. Linkara pressed the button on the bedside table and was transported back to the apartment living room.

The other members of his household were at the kitchen table eating dinner. A place was set for him. It said a lot about the way their household functioned that no one questioned him returning with a strange man in tow. Harvey looked up from his chicken wrap. "Hey, kid. Junior mentioned you found something extra while you were out?" Linkara nodded, sitting down to his supper. "Linksano, when you're finished, I need you." Linksano dipped his head in acknowledgement. Behind him, the TV was on, playing a news program.

"And in local news, several startled witnesses reported seeing a UFO in the sky…"

AN: Not my best work, but the plot bunny was persistent. My advice is to not hold your breath for updates, as it takes awhile to edit my work and I'm not very good at multi-chaptered things. Despite all of that, I hope you enjoy.


	2. Chapter 2

_His heart pounding, his feet stinging, his hair whipping around his face, something behind him, getting closer, and closer…._

Jaeris awoke with a start. He winced as he accidentally looked right into the overhead light and pulled the covers over his face-

Wait, covers?

Jaeris peeked out from under the blankets and looked around. He was lying in a white blanketed bed in a room with deep green walls. Jaeris swallowed thickly. His memory may have been patchy at best, but he recognized the color scheme of this place, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He threw off the covers and sat up, stretching in an attempt to get the kinks out. As he arched his back, he felt something move in his belly. Jaeris stopped stretching and placed a hand on his stomach. "Hey, kiddo. Glad to know you're ok." He glanced around warily. "Just wish we weren't here." Jaeris fell silent as he heard footsteps in the hall. Ignoring his aching legs, he slipped out of bed, pressing against the wall nearest the door, as it whooshed open.

As soon as the first figure stepped into the room, he lunged, catching them in a chokehold and sending them both crashing to the ground. Jaeris landed on top of him, locking his legs around the squirming man's waist. His head whipped around to the other man, briefly noting that he'd instinctively reached into his coat for his weapon. "Try it, and I kill your friend." Jaeris snarled.

Linkara held up his hands, indicating he was unarmed. "Just relax, Ok? There's no need to hurt him, you're completely safe."

"Liar." Jaeris hissed. "I know this ship, and I know him. You both work for Vyce." Linkara blinked as he realized what Jaeris was saying. "Oh. Yeah. That. I know this looks bad, but believe me, we're the good guys. See, we stopped Vyce, and-."

"Bull." Jaeris forced his trembling arm to tighten around Linksano's neck. He was still exhausted but he would be dammed before he let his enemies see it. There was more at stake than his life, after all. The man under him choked, fingers prying at his arm. Linkara knelt on the floor in front of them. "Look, just let him go, alright?" Jaeris gritted his teeth with the effort of keeping Linksano down. "Open the door first." Linkara opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Jaeris's arm went slack with fatigue, and Linksano took the opportunity to shove the other male off of him. Jaeris went down, and Linksano scrambled to his feet, pulling a laser gun from his coat. Linkara grabbed his arm as he pointed it at Jaeris. "Linksano, don't! He's-."

Jaeris froze, heart pounding, arms wrapped protectively around his stomach. Pleas to spare his baby jumped into his mouth, but before he could utter them, Linkara pushed Linksano's arm down. "Linksano, ease up. He's not our enemy." Linksano reluctantly nodded, returning his gun to the depths of his coat. "My apologies." He mumbled. "My instincts got the better of me." Linkara turned to Jaeris and offered him his hand. "Sorry. Believe it or not, we really are the good guys." Jaeris regarded his hand distrustfully. He stood shakily, only to have his knees buckle halfway up. Linkara caught him. "Easy there." Jaeris tensed. If Linkara felt it, he didn't remark on it. He led Jaeris back to bed and sat him on the edge of it.

"There we go. Listen, I know you're probably really freaked out, but you have got to calm down. You don't want to…to hurt your baby, after all." Jaeris's eyes widened. They knew. His blood ran cold. He'd just barely escaped Vyce the last time, and that was before even he knew he was pregnant. "How'd you-?" Jaeris started, and then shook his head.

"Alright, I-I won't fight back, just don't hurt my kid."

"I assure you, we have no intention of hurting either of you." Linkara promised.

He smiled in what was supposed to be a reassuring manner, but Jaeris was only unnerved. His eyes locked with Linkara's, trying to read him. "If you _are _a good guy, what are you doing with Vyce's henchman on Vyce's ship?" Linkara paused, fiddling with his fingers. "Right. About that…"

Jaeris cocked his head as Linkara finished. "So, let me see if I've got this straight. You defeated Vyce, you stole his spaceship, and you marooned him on a different planet, only to have him come back as a robot and then get blasted into space?" Linkara nodded. "Pretty much."

"And I abandoned Vyce because Linkara offered far superior technology!" Linksano piped up. Jaeris's eyes flicked from Linkara to Linksano. "Right. And, how do I know this isn't some trick?" Linkara went into the room's closet and came out again with Jaeris's backpack, which he tossed to the blond. Jaeris immediately unzipped it and pulled out his gun. A wave of relief passed over him as soon as he felt its warmth in his hands. They hadn't harmed it. Good.

"There's also a Teleporter button on that table that will beam you back to Earth." Linkara added. "You can leave right now if you want. But, if you stay here, you'll get medical attention and protection from whatever you were running from." Jaeris hugged his backpack, thinking. The room gave him the creeps, bringing vague, rather frightening memories to the surface. Vyce's traitorous henchman and the man who claimed to be this universe's champion may assure protection, but he suspected it came with strings attached. Jaeris made up his mind. Eyes never leaving the other two men, he backed off the bed and stood next to the table. Heart in his mouth, he pushed the button marked "Teleporters", praying it wouldn't just vaporize him.

There was a brief sensation of vertigo and a buzz in his teeth and then Jaeris found himself standing in front of a green futon. Jaeris shifted his backpack to his back and twirled his gun so his finger was on the trigger. Slowly, he made his way to the door. He reached for the doorknob, but as he was about to grasp it, a little nudge came from inside him. Jaeris patted his bump soothingly. "I know, it's ok, we're getting out of here."

And then what, Jaeris asked himself. He didn't have anywhere to go, did he? He was hungry and aching with tiredness, and there was goddess-knows-what after him. He wanted to believe Linkara's sweet promises of safety and care. But the ideas were so foreign; he couldn't even put images to them. Jaeris stared at the door. Out there was something hell-bent on finding him, of that much he was certain. And while he felt he could protect himself, he wasn't the only person he had to worry about right now. Jaeris chuckled darkly. His whole life felt like some sort of battle, one where he was woefully outmatched and always retreating. And, he was tired of running. Jaeris looked back to the living room and sighed.

Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't, huh? Well, at least this place looked like a comfortable place to live, though he didn't relish the thought of getting back on that ship. Jaeris went back into the living room and slipped out of his backpack. He sank down onto the futon, his weary legs practically sighing with relief. His hands folded over his middle. "Well, kiddo, looks like we're sticking around." His gaze wandered to the shelves of the room, and noted a rather large weapon in the corner. "At least for now…"


	3. Chapter 3

"-And again, you have my sincerest apologies for the little showdown we had in the bedroom, now will you please allow me to examine you?" Linksano was close to throwing up his hands in frustration. After finding Jaeris fast asleep on the futon, they had put him to bed in the apartment. In the morning, he'd willingly, if reluctantly followed them back aboard the ship, but so far he'd refused to let the scientist near him. Not that Linksano blamed him. He remembered the original fight with Jaeris, back when he still worked for Vyce.

He'd hardly been gentle with the blond, a fact that made his insides pang with guilt. His recently formed conscience wasn't about to let the latest altercation go anytime soon as well. Linksano sighed inwardly. Living with Linkara had made him soft. Then again, he was beginning to suspect he'd always been soft. Ever since….But, never mind. He turned his attention back to Jaeris, who was sitting on a padded examining table, giving him a suspicious look. Linkara stood next to him. "Look, it's just a non-invasive check-up; I promise I'm not going to shove anything up anywhere." Linksano assured him. Jaeris's face softened a bit, and Linksano pressed on.

"It really is best for you and your unborn child."

Jaeris clenched his teeth. The words sounded sweet on the surface, but they were still probably a threat. He cursed himself for still being so stubborn. He had a kid to think about, for goddess's sake! "Alright, you win, just…no probing."

"No problem! Now, lie back, if you please." Jaeris obeyed, stretching out on the table. Linksano pulled his shirt up and peered at his exposed abdomen. "Well, no bruises." Linksano said, feeling the guilt in his chest abate a bit. His gloved fingers ghosted along Jaeris's bump, occasionally stopping to gently poke and prod. He grinned as his prodding earned a return kick from the baby. "Your little one seems to be strong." Jaeris gave a half smile of pride. "Of course, an ultrasound would really be best, just in case." Jaeris raised an eyebrow. "A what?"

"Well, simply put, would you like to see your baby?" Jaeris's eyes widened.

"You-you can do that?"

"Of COURSE!" Linksano proclaimed. "Don't you know anything about _science?" _Linkara rolled his eyes. Linksano went over to the other side of the room and returned after about a minute, rolling a machine with him. He spread a cool gel over Jaeris's belly and pressed a blue and white wand to it, flipping a switch on the machine. Everyone turned their attention to it. After about a minute, a grainy, grey and black picture blinked onto the screen. It was the rough profile of a baby, tiny fists and feet visible, moving slightly as they watched. "Good news!" Linksano said, moving the wand around to get a better look. "Your baby's doing very well; that entire hullabaloo didn't even seem to faze her!"

"It's…" Jaeris nearly sat up, but he didn't want to ruin the picture. "It's a girl?" Linksano smiled at him. "Yes. I hope that's the result you were wanting."

"A girl…" Jaeris murmured, eyes never leaving the screen. "I have a daughter..."

"That's what girls generally are, yes." Said Linksano. Linkara shushed him. Jaeris pressed a hand to the screen. "Wow."

Linkara tilted his head. The picture didn't look like much to him, but this was the most at ease Jaeris had been since he woke up. He glanced down at Jaeris, who was entranced with the image onscreen. "I hate to interrupt, Jaeris, but we really need to talk about what you were doing out on that road the night before last." Jaeris reluctantly looked away from the ultrasound. "Right." Linksano wiped the gel off, and Jaeris sat up, adjusting his shirt.

"So," Linkara began. "Obvious question first: What exactly was chasing you that night?" Jaeris paused. He attempted to pull a face out of his memory, but he couldn't. "I…Well, it was…" He furrowed his brow thoughtfully. "I…I can't remember." Linkara frowned. "Look, I understand if you don't trust us, but-."

"I'm serious!" Jaeris snapped. "I really don't remember!" Linkara's expression shifted to one of concern and Jaeris felt a chill go down his spine as he realized what he'd just said. Linkara crouched down so they were eye level and asked quietly. "What about where you came from? Can you remember that?" Jaeris went pale. He tried desperately to think back, to connect the scattered memories, but it was like trying to hold water. His head was full of black, empty spaces. His mind raced, trying to bring up pictures of his mom, his dad, his home, only to draw a blank every time. As the full implications hit him, Jaeris drew in air sharply. "Jaeris?" Linkara leaned forward worriedly.

"I-I can't remember…Oh, goddess, I can't REMEMBER!" He hugged himself, trying to stop the full body tremble. "I can't remember my home, my family, my _life!" _ His terrified eyes met Linkara's. Linkara, not knowing what else to do, placed a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. He turned to Linksano. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm not sure. It could be head trauma, or repression." Said Linksano. Jaeris gasped, beginning to hyperventilate, as he became painfully aware of the blank spots in his brain. "I can't remember whose baby I'm carrying! Oh, goddess, _I can't remember my mate!" _He shook harder as the realization hit him like a freight train.

"Jaeris…Jaeris, you have to calm down." Linksano said, patting the blonde's shoulder awkwardly. "This could negatively impact your child's development." Jaeris shook his head, still breathing rapidly. "I-I can't-I can't-I-." Linkara looked to Linksano fearfully.

"It's a panic attack." Linksano explained. "The shock of losing his memory must have triggered it. I'll try to find some sedative-."

"No!" Linkara cut him off. "We don't know how it would affect him!"

"Well, we have to calm him down somehow!"

Linkara bit his lip. He tried to remember his last roommate, and how they would have panic attacks from time to time. He remembered how he calmed them down, but he was worried in this case, it might do more harm than good. Jaeris made a choking noise and that immediately made up Linkara's mind. He perched tentatively next to Jaeris and put his arms around him. Jaeris drew in a shuddering breath and sat up, rigid. But, he didn't try to get away. Linkara began rubbing his arm in what he hoped was a soothing manner. "Shh." He whispered. "It's going to be ok."

Was it though, Linkara wondered. He'd never dealt with this sort of thing before. Monsters and sentient comics, yes, but alien amnesiacs were a whole different ballgame. He edged closer to Jaeris, pressing their legs together, praying he wasn't being too forward. For a few minutes, they sat like that, Jaeris stiff, Linkara soft and comforting. Jaeris didn't return the embrace, but slowly, he began to slump in Linkara's arms. As Jaeris regained control of his breathing, Linkara pulled away, keeping one hand on his shoulder. Jaeris breathed deeply and slowly as he came down from the attack. He dipped his head, hair falling down around his shoulders, shielding him from the other two men. The baby was kicking like mad, obviously distressed. He began rubbing his belly in circles, trying to calm her. It helped with the panic induced nausea as well.

"Better?" Linkara asked and Jaeris nodded even though he was extremely far from ok. In the back of his mind, he wondered why they would care. Linksano touched his leg and Jaeris reluctantly looked into his spiraled goggles. "I think we'd better scan your brain." Linksano suggested. "Just to make sure it isn't damaged." Jaeris nodded. "Ok."

The medical bay itself was quite large. Linkara was beginning to realize how extensive it was and how ignorant he was of his workings. He was thankful Linksano was there to point them to a brain scanning machine, which didn't resemble anything from any hospital he'd ever been in. It looked more like a prop from a silent sci-fi movie, with its beige wires that wrapped around Jaeris's head like tentacles. Linkara wondered which dimension Vyce had procured it from, while Linksano printed out the machine's findings.

Linksano tutted as he looked over the printout. "I'm not quite sure what to make of this, to be honest. Everything seems to be fine. Perhaps the problem is psychosomatic?"

"Meaning…?" Linkara asked.

"Meaning, his memory loss is more than likely the result of some sort of trauma." Jaeris, now free from the machine, sat up. "You sure?" He asked. Linksano nodded. "While there's a slight possibility someone slipped you a memory loss drug, as those do exist in the multi-verse, they generally have extremely noticeable side effects."

"So, how do we fix it?" Linkara wanted to know.

"I'm afraid I don't know. This isn't exactly my area of expertise. For now, we should try to figure out what he does remember." Linksano pulled a chair out from behind the machine and sat down in front of Jaeris. "Now then, Jaeris, let's see if we can't get to the root of this."

A/n: Thanks for reading! Chapter four should be up tomorrow or the day after! Review please!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

As it turned out, Jaeris didn't remember much. He remembered traveling through space, though not his ship. He remembered the fight with Vyce, though not how he got away or what he did afterward. His home, his life before arriving on Earth, any family he may have had, and how he actually got to Earth, were all complete blanks. He only barely remembered his religion, the specifics were lost to him, as well as where he got his gun and what it was powered by.

"But, you remembered that you're pregnant?" Linksano had asked. Jaeris had fought the temptation to roll his eyes. "Yeah. That would be pretty hard to forget."

"Apparently they have sarcasm on your planet." Linksano said sardonically, making a note. "Good to know."

After extensive questioning, Linksano's official prognosis was…

"Selective memory loss!" Linksano declared, pocketing his pen and notepad. "To put it bluntly Jaeris, I'm not 100% positive how to bring your memories back. I don't think they're lost, just…not currently reachable." Jaeris stared at the floor. The shock of losing his memories still had his blood churning. The more he tried to reach back into the past, the farther it retreated. It was becoming increasingly, horrifically obvious that the person he was before this point was lost. Fear sat in his stomach like a lead ball. He peeked out at the two men in front of him through his bangs. "Isn't there anything you can do?" Linksano shrugged.

"Unfortunately, I'm not a brain specialist. Speaking from experience, repressed or 'lost' memories can resurface if you're exposed to familiar things. Right now though, we should probably focus on the here and now, instead of the past.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to take some blood samples, to see what's safe for you to eat and figure out a prenatal vitamin regimen."

"Sure." Jaeris said dully.

"Excellent." Linksano went over to a nearby wheeled drawer and withdrew the necessary supplies for taking blood. Linkara opened his mouth to say something to Jaeris, but he'd once again bowed his head and retreated behind his hair.

…..

Afterwards, Jaeris left to get cleaned up in one of the ship's many bathrooms. He stayed under the shower's spray for a long time, trying to process this latest turn of events. Out of the shower, it was satisfying to yank a comb through his tangled hair until was neat again and braid it. Apparently, his muscle memory hadn't been damaged as well, though it was little comfort, with all the blackness in his brain. He doubted he'd ever wished to remember even minor bits of his old routine before. He dressed in clothes from his backpack and spent a good half minute looking in the mirror, hoping to get some flash of his previous life, however, his attempts proved futile. Giving up, he opened the door, letting the steam mingle with the chilly air and wandered down the hall.

….

Linkara beamed back down to the apartment, where Harvey and 90's kid were eating breakfast. Boffo had left for a gig, and Ninja Style Dancer was his usual absent self. Harvey was the first to notice him, looking up from his ham and eggs. "Morning kid." He greeted. "Hey guys." Said Linkara. He pulled out a chair and sat down. Harvey set down his fork. "So, what's the story on Blondie?" Linkara shifted his eyes. "Well, the long and short of it is that he's a pregnant alien with amnesia that I found by the side of the road, and there's a strong possibility someone, or something, we don't know what, might come after him." Harvey stared at the comic reviewer. 90's kid dropped the Pop Tart he was holding. Harvey spoke first. "So, he's an alien?"

"Technically, he's from another dimension."

"He's _pregnant?" _90's kid said in disbelief.

Linkara nodded. "5 months pregnant."

"And, you just found him on the road." Harvey said flatly.

"Yeah, he was trying to escape something."

Harvey shook his head. "Kid, forgive me for asking the obvious, but how do we know he's not going to murder us in our sleep?" Linkara sighed. He hadn't even considered that. "Well, for one thing, I think he's more scared of us than we are of him."

"Dude, he's an alien, not, like, a squirrel or something. Harvey-dude's got a point." 90's kid chimed in. "What if he's carrying the anti-Christ or something?"

"I told you not to let him watch that movie." Linkara snapped to Harvey.

"Junior's got a point, though." Harvey said. "What if it IS a monster?"

"I'm sure it's not a monster!"

"Or a clone! It could be a clone."

"90's kid…"

"Ya hear that kid, you could have brought the Clone Saga into the apartment!"

"He's not pregnant with the Clone Saga!" Linkara yelled. He rubbed his temples. "I know he didn't show up under the most trustworthy of circumstances, but every bad thing that's darkened our door for the last five years has announced itself beforehand. Considering that, I'm pretty optimistic."

"But, kid…"

"Please Harvey, just give him a chance. I don't think he has anywhere else to go." Harvey frowned. "Ok, kid. But, he sleeps on the spaceship till we're sure we can trust him."

"Deal." Linkara agreed.

….

Linksano busied himself with Jaeris's blood samples, analyzing and cataloging. He worked on autopilot, letting his mind wander. Why, Linksano pondered, was he going so far out of his way for this man? Admittedly, it was fascinating to have a male carrying a baby to study, but Linksano had still seen far stranger things on his travels through the multi-verse. One mind searing discovery (What Turl's private parts looked like) sprung to his mind, causing him to cringe. The automated analyzer beeped, indicating it was done, and Linksano quickly attended to it. Was it because Linkara ordered him to? No, Linksano decided as he scribbled down notes, whatever fear he had of Linkara was gone now, replaced with a tentative camaraderie.

Was it, then, that the camaraderie motivated him? Linksano sighed. No, if he was being completely honest with himself, the reason was Jaeris himself. Though Linksano would never admit it, he had a soft spot for blondes. With Jaeris, it was a decidedly unromantic soft spot, but a soft spot nonetheless. If Linksano had the time, he would have done some research into the psychology of his minor fixation with the straw-haired, but as it was, he could make a few guesses. Looking back, his first crush had been a blond girl.

His last crush had been one, as well.

Linksano's toes curled in his shoes as the memories appeared unbidden. Afternoons spent in the garage lab, perfecting gifts, both of them promising that no matter what her decision was, they would be happy.

_Spoonette._

_Wayne._

For just a moment, Oscar Schlumper stood in the medical bay of Comicron1. Then, Linksano shook himself back to the present and busied himself with the vials of blood.

Yes, Linksano thought, he had a soft spot for blondes.


End file.
